MEXICO TOURISM INDICATORS UP FOR THE FIRST SEVEN MONTHS OF 2008

During the first seven months of the year, there was an influx of $8.475 million dollars from spending by foreign tourists, signifying a 6.3 percent increase compared to the same period in 2007, reports Rodolfo Elizondo Torres, Secretary of Tourism of Mexico (SECTUR).

According to the most recent data from the Bank of Mexico’s International Visitor Count, Secretary Elizondo said that during the January to July 2008 period, the country received 13.620 million tourists, a total that represents a 5.2 percent increase compared to the same period in 2007. 

Likewise, the head of SECTUR said that the average spending of tourists who traveled further than the border - those who have the longest stays and greater spending – amounted to $788 dollars per trip, which represents an increase of 3.8 percent from 2007.

Secretary Elizondo emphasized that the airline industry transported 26.5 million passengers between January and July 2008; 6.1 percent more than in 2007.

Lastly, he said that as of July 2008, the Mexican Social Security Institute has a registry of 2.234 million workers in the tourism industry representing a 2.3 percent higher rate than the number registered for the same month in 2007.